How to Find a Place to Live Off the Grid

Living off grid means building a home in a location where you will not rely on the utilities provided to you by your local community. Instead, off-grid homes use various mechanisms to be as self-sufficient as possible. Some people use the term "off the grid" to also refer to living out of sight of governmental organizations, but in either case the first step is finding a location for a home that can sustain itself without reliance on outside help.

Look for a location away from any major cities. Trying to live off-grid in a major city is all but impossible, and the closer you are to them the more the traffic, people and complications of cities will intrude into off-grid living.

Look for land that is large enough for your needs. If you need a great deal of firewood, make sure you have enough land to gather it from. If farming, growing a large garden or maintaining livestock is part of your plan, ensure you purchase enough territory.

Shop for a property that already has some of the essential water equipment that you need for off-grid living. This means you should look for property with a well in good working condition. If you can find a home with a septic system already installed, you're one step closer to comfortable off-grid living as well.

Look for a property that has an independent power source, or that is set up well to install your own. For instance, you could look for a home with a solar, wind, geothermal or propane systems already installed. Alternatively, if you find a location where you can build a home with good south-facing exposure to install a solar system, you can always add power support as time goes on.

Choose a final location that has food sources and emergency services within an accessible distance, especially if you are not going to grow enough food to be completely independent on your property. Solitude and separation are highly sought after by many people who live off grid, but safety should still be a consideration as well.